Memory devices are important in integrated circuits because they can be embedded on a semiconductor chip instead of using a multi-chip solution with separate logic and memory chips. A non-volatile memory device is one that is capable of retaining stored data for a long period of time without any power supply. Consequently, non-volatile memory devices are ideally suited for both programming and data storage, which explains why embedded non-volatile memories may be found in a wide field of products, ranging from smart cards to communication IC's.
SONOS devices, which stands for silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon, is a preferred non-volatile memory device because of its better scaling perspectives and the ease of integration into a baseline CMOS process, compared to standard floating gate memory devices. Moreover, some performance parameters, such as the write/erase endurance and the required programming voltages, exceed those of flash memory devices. Unfortunately, conventional manufacturing processes for such SONOS devices are often complex, expensive processes, such as damascene-based processes. Hence, there is a need for an improved structure and method manufacturing a SONOS non-volatile memory device.